Completions Process (Final Sign-Off): Competency Based Completions (CBC) for Apprentices and Trainees instruction

Instruction statement

This instruction states the completions process to be followed for all Victorian Apprentices and Trainees enrolled in a Competency Based Completions (CBC) program.

The process stated here will ensure RMIT is compliant with the Higher Education and Skills (formally Skills Victoria) TAFE Performance Agreement Training Services Delivery (the Service Agreement).

School staff may access and use this instruction upon assessment of the apprentice’s or trainee’s final competency.

Exclusions

This instruction is only relevant to Victorian Apprentices and Trainees undertaking a competency based training program and excludes all other cohorts of students.

Instruction steps/actions

Process Step/Action

Responsibility

Time Frame

School process – Pre-sign-off of training plan

1. Ensure program requirements have been met

  • Once all competencies are delivered and assessed, the School will check the TAFE Student Qualification Report and training plan to ensure all requirements of the program have been met
  • School staff will check:

a) that all program requirements have been met on or before the nominal completion date listed on the training plan;

b) enrolment of all competencies;

c) RPL or credit transfers have been processed;

d) that all results have been entered.

  • Where discrepancies arise, the School investigates issues preventing the apprentice/trainee from completing.

Note: This may require an extension of the nominal completion date of the training agreement. If this is the case, the employer and apprentice/trainee should be given a copy of Higher Education and Skills Application for Approval to Vary a Training Contract form to complete and forward to the relevant Australian Apprenticeship Centre (AAC).


School


Within 10 working days from assessment of final competency.

1.1 Employer contact – requesting final sign-off of training plan

The School provides the training plan to the employer requesting they sign to confirm the apprentice/trainee has demonstrated competence in related tasks performed in the workplace.

School

2 Employer returns training plan

  • The employer returns a completed and signed training plan to the School
  • The date the training plan is signed by the employer is also referred to as the actual completion date

Note: In the instance where an employer indicates that their apprentice/trainee has not yet demonstrated the competencies required to complete the qualification, discussion will need to be undertaken between the employer, apprentice/trainee and RMIT.

See the Higher Education and Skills Issue Resolution Process

Employer

In the instance where an employer fails to respond within 14 days of receiving the training plan, RMIT should continue to try to contact the employer.

If there is still no response after another 14 days, the School should initiate the issue resolution process.

School process – Post-sign-off of training plan

3 Entering results

  • The School enters both interim and final grade/s directly into the Student Management Administration System (SAMS) via the Quick Enrolment – Units and Grade panel. The actual date of completion as signed by the employer must be entered as the ‘Action Date’ in the General Overrides. This is a key auditable date: accuracy is critical.
  • Where any change of grade (from an interim to final grade) is made within 10 working days of the date of entry of the interim grade, the School does not need to seek Dean/Head of School approval for the change. Where the entry of the final grade occurs more than 10 working days after the entry of the interim grade the School must complete an amendment to grades form and obtain approval of the Dean/Head of School.
  • The final annual report to Higher Education and Skills Group (formerly Skills Victoria) for a calendar year is lodged in January of the following year, therefore schools need to ensure that a valid final grade is entered by the end of December (for courses that have a class end date in the calendar year being reported on) so that complete funding is received for that class in accordance with the management of results procedure.
  • Failure to meet these deadlines may mean that outcomes reported at AVETMISS do not match student records at an audit and the School may not receive the final month’s funding.

Note: School staff must refer to the rules for use of interim grades set out under the Management of results procedure if they are faced with either of the following two scenarios:

  • A delay in obtaining employer sign-off;
  • Employer returns training plan but does not confirm completion

See the Management of results procedure


School


Within 4 working days from when the training plan has been returned.

3.1 Sign TSQR

The TSQR is signed and validated by the Program Coordinator before being placed on the student file.

School

3.2 Complete Notification of Completion spreadsheet

  • The School completes the Notification of Completion for Apprentices and Trainees spreadsheet and emails this to RMS for processing.
  • The Notification of Completion for Apprentices and Trainees spreadsheet can only be filled in by nominated staff. If you are responsible for this process and your name does not appear on the spreadsheet, your college office will need to send an email request to TAFE Records, tafe.records@rmit.edu.au

Note 1: For all interstate apprentices/trainees, the School must process the student’s completion in accordance with the state contract.

Note 2: Completion of interstate apprentices/trainees in relevant databases is currently under review.

School

4 Circulation of training plan/statement of academic completion

The School sends a copy of the signed training plan and a ‘Statement of Academic Completion’ letter to both the employer and student.

See the Statement of Academic Completion template – apprentices/trainee

School

Conferral / DELTA completion process

5 School conferral list

RMS collate all Notification of Completion for Apprentices and Trainees spreadsheets sent prior to 4:00pm every Wednesday and use this data to complete a ‘School Conferral’ list on the Graduation Database.

Note: Spreadsheets received after 4:00pm will be batched with the following weekly ‘School Conferral’ list.


Record Management Services


Every Wednesday

5.1 Uploading Student details on to Graduation Database

Graduation staff upload student details on to the Graduation Database which then initiates the data validation process.

Exams, Graduations & Awards

Overnight process

5.2 Completing student in DELTA Database

  • RMS will log on into the DELTA Database to enter the following:
    a) ‘Off the Job’ Completion (Place of Leaning (POL) completion)

    b) Actual completion date (adjusted if required)

    c) Change the training agreement status to ‘Complete’

Note: If the training agreement has a status of expired or cancelled RMS will:

  • POL Complete the training agreement on DELTA
  • Email Higher Education and Skills advising them that the apprentice/trainee has been POL completed and requesting that they change the training agreement status to complete.

Record Management Services.

Within 2 working days of receipt of the Notification of Completion for Apprentices and Trainees spreadsheet

5.3 Data validation

  • Data Verification staff complete the data validation process and confer the student.

Note: If discrepancies exist, the administrative staff member listed on the Notification of Completion for Apprentices and Trainees spreadsheet will be advised and instructed via email to rectify the issue before Data Verification are able to complete the conferral process.

Exams, Graduations & Awards

Within 5 working days from date of student details uploaded on the Graduation Database.

6 Record documentation

RMS save the spreadsheet.

Record Management Services

7 Issue academic statements

Exams, Awards and Graduations issue student’s Qualification Statement, Testamur (certificate) and a Transcript of results.

Note: If a student has a financial debt owing to the University, he/she will not receive their academic statements until the debt has been cleared.

All related queries can be forwarded to graduation@rmit.edu.au

Exams, Graduations & Awards

Within 15-20 working days upon receipt of the Notification of Completion for Apprentices and Trainees spreadsheet.

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